1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to equipment stands, including stands for elevating equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
An air conditioner (A/C) is an appliance designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. Power generators are designed to supply power to a facility, such as a home and a business. The installation of A/C units and power generators must meet local, state, and federal standards, if any exist. For example, the rooftop installation of A/C unit(s), such as with multifamily dwellings or businesses, must be elevated to a specific height dependent on the size of the unit, so as to allow access to the roof of a building. An A/C stand is often used to reach the appropriate height. As a further example, a power generator that is positioned adjacent to a building may need to be elevated with a stand to prevent electrical issues that may be caused by flooding.
Any A/C stand, in fact any stand that rises above ground-level, must also meet any specified building code. Building codes most often reflect the state (or city) in which they are enacted. For example, in the State of Florida, the state building code takes into consideration the likelihood of hurricanes, the accompanying winds, and rains that may cause flooding. In addition, building codes can change over time. For instance, the wind loading criteria for mechanical equipment, appliances, and supports that are exposed to wind increased from one hundred forty miles per hour in the old Florida Building Code 2007, American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7-05, to one hundred eighty miles per hour in the more recently enacted Florida Building Code 2010, ASCE 7-10. Of note, Florida Building Code specifies wind load requirements based on location from as low as one hundred ten miles per hour to as high as one hundred eight miles per hour. In addition, the required design pressures that rooftop structures and equipment are required to meet became more stringent between the 2007 and 2010 building code changes.